Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mondays Poetry Review

Welcome all Bluebell Poetry readers and Happy November to each of you!

I realized something about my reviews recently. I have been focusing on mostly women poets. I did not set out to do that but nevertheless, that needs to be different! I am so happy, no thrilled is a better word to bring you a gifted male poet I came across.

If I hadn't been on a quest to restore gender balance to the universe (well at least our little universe here on Poetry Mondays) I might have never known about this poet: Terrance Hayes and my world would have been poorer for it. Here is a quote by him that intrigued me enough to want to know more...
"I'm only half joking when I say a stork brings the poems. They are little creatures I have to train and send out into the world." —Terrance Hayes


Who among us doesn't identify with that feeling? I think it articulates beautifully what all of us feel when we write and then share.

About the author: Terrance Hayes is a Professor of Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University and the author of four published works. Today we will be reviewing his fourth book entitled "Lighthead"





This collection of poems varies from street smarts to aliens to primal elements such as rain and ice and monkeys. Somehow Terrance Hayes can weave these diverse stars into a constellation of words that pulls you in and leaves you wanting to turn the page and dive back in again. I can heartily recommend this fascinating poet and his work of wonder, "Lighthead"


This book is available at



I will leave you with an excerpt of Terrance Hayes work to whet your appetite!

This poem is entitled "Lightheads Guide To The Galaxy"

the following is an excerpt:

You can spend your whole life doing no more than preparing for life and thinking, “Is this all there is?” Thus, I am here where poets come to drink a dark strong poison with tiny shards of ice, something to loosen my primate tongue and its syllables of debris. I know all words come from preexisting words and divide until our pronouncements develop selves. The small dog barking at the darkness has something to say about the way we live. I’d rather have what my daddy calls “skrimp.” He says “discrete” and means the street just out of sight. Not what you see, but what you perceive: that’s poetry.

~

Have a wonderful week and be sure to stop by for next Mondays review here at Bluebell Books!

Indie











3 comments:

Unknown said...

very beautiful one, Indie.

:)

Cynthia M said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paulo Guimaraes said...

Wow, he definitely sparked my interest!